Best of Intentions
by Lynnlee22
Summary: Aubrey has a plan-it doesn't go well.
1. Chapter 1

"Just give me a chance to explain, Kelly. I can explain."

She stood there in front of him, her eyes wide with amazement and hurt. The tears threatened, as they always did, yet tonight she managed to will them to stay away. She would not allow him to bring her to tears again…at least not that he'd see.

"I've heard enough," she snapped, as she turned and walked towards the door.

"Kel, look it's just a few more days. Just until we're sure everything is situated with Jess. We just want to make sure the judge is ok with Ryder going back in her care. You know how important this is to me."

Kelly turned back towards him. She did know how important Ryder was to him. She knew how important his family was, but the problem was, she wanted to be important to him too.

"That's just it, Joey. I know your family is important…I was just hoping I'd make the list too," she whispered sadly as she quickly walked down the driveway and got into her car.

"Kelly," Joey called out, his voice fighting a losing battle over the pouring rain. "Kelly, wait, please."

He sighed heavily and slammed the door, leaning back against it. How was it that he always managed to screw this up?

* * *

As she slowly pulled away from the driveway, she allowed the tears that had been building all evening to slowly slide down her face. After the accident, when she'd realized Joey had been by her side, she'd allowed herself to hope that things could work out for them—that maybe, after all this time, they could have a real shot at a future together. Tonight, all of that was over.

He was still choosing Aubrey—no matter what the reason—he still chose her and she couldn't sit by and wait for him to be ready. She couldn't live her life in limbo. She had to move on…somehow.

The soft sounds of a love song drifted from the speakers of her car and she leaned down to silence the radio. That was the last thing she needed to hear. Now the beating of the rain on the windshield, coupled with her sobs was the only melody present.

* * *

The look on his face told her everything she needed to know.

"Honey, what is it? What's happened?" Vicki stood at the door as the rain beat down on the umbrella she was holding.

"Nothing, Mom. I'm fine," he lied. Compared to the problems some of his family members had experienced in the past few months, he was fine, even though he didn't feel anything even close to fine.

Vicki narrowed her eyes at him. Her son might be able to fool someone else, but not her. She had heard his quickened steps in his approach to the door and she hadn't missed the flicker of disappointment in his eyes when he'd opened the door and saw her standing there. She clearly wasn't who he was hoping to see.

She followed him inside, leaning the soaking wet umbrella against the doorframe.

"You're going to have to do better than that, sweetheart," she said softly, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder.

Joey sighed. He might as well be honest with her. She was, after all, one of the few people who knew what an important part of his life Kelly was an always had been.

Before he even started to speak, his mother looked up at him.

"Is this about Kelly?" she asked quietly, nodding as his eyes closed at the mere mention of her name.

"It's alright," she whispered as she sat down next to him on the sofa. "Just tell me what happened."

"I think I've really lost her this time, Mom. I think this time she's really gone."

* * *

Kelly leaned forward as she tried desperately to see the lines in the road. Each passing car threw water up on her already rain covered windshield and the storm only appeared to be growing more intense.

She sighed as she reached for her signal. Yes, she felt as if her life was over, but if she didn't get off the road tonight, it really might be.

Carefully easing the car off the road, she moved underneath the shelter of a large oak tree. Finally she experienced some relief from the incessant beating of the pouring rain.

A sudden jolt caused her to hit her brake hard. What could she have hit? She was off the road. Of that, she was certain. Moving the car into park, she shut off the engine and eased open the driver's side door. She was off the road alright..and right in the middle of a mess of mud, broken limbs, and exposed tree roots….completely stuck.

Sinking back into the seat, she slammed the door. This night could not possibly get any worse.

* * *

"I'm sure it's not as bad as you think," Vicki said, as she looked up at her son. "You and Kelly have something special. You always have. This whole mess with Aubrey is far too silly to get in the way of that."

Shaking his head, Joey looked down at his feet. "I don't know, Mom. I don't even really know if it's about Aubrey anymore. She said she didn't make my list—that she understood why I did what I did—even why I'm doing what I'm doing. She knows how important my family is to me, but she doesn't think she's important to me anymore."

He sighed as he looked up at his mother, desperate for advice. "I don't know how to fix that. Every time I try to say something to make her understand I just end up screwing everything up even more. Why does it have to be so hard, Mom?"

Vicki smiled as she softly spoke. "A love as strong as the love you have for Kelly is going to be difficult, but it's worth it. That's how you know it's real. If you're willing to fight for it, it's real."

"I'm willing to fight, but God, Mom—it's like all I've been doing is fighting. How do I get her to understand? How do I get her to see how much I love her?" He leaned back against the couch. There wasn't anything in the world he wouldn't do for Kelly, but he was truly at a loss as to what to do to fix the mess he'd created.

"Have you tried telling her?" Vicki asked.

Joey sat up, looking at his mother. He was silent for a moment as he thought. His mind replayed all of the conversations he'd had with Kelly over the past few months. They'd said so many things to each other. He'd told her so many things, but he wasn't sure 'I love you' was one of them. How was that possible?

"I…I don't know," he admitted, still a little shocked at the realization.

"Maybe you should start there," she said with a smile. "Maybe that's what Kelly needs to hear."

Joey sat still for a moment. He'd never said he loved her. He just thought she knew. He grabbed Vicki's shoulders, kissing her cheek with a smile.

"Mom, you're a genius," he said.

"I'm hardly a genius," she answered with a laugh, standing up and moving towards the door, "but I do know that when a woman knows she's loved, it changes everything. Now then…" She picked up the umbrella from the doorframe, "Why don't I go and let you make things right with that girl of yours? You give Ryder a kiss for me, Ok?"

Joey nodded, "will do. Thanks Mom."

He watched as his mother's taillights faded into the distance. Then, he rushed back into the room, picked up his phone and began to dial Kelly's cell number.

* * *

She revved the engine. The tires spun flinging mud and debris into the air and onto the back windshield.

"Damn," she muttered, frustrated by her lack of progress. Staring up at the sky through the window, she muttered, "What else could possibly go wrong?"

A loud clap of thunder echoed through the dark night, as if a fitting response to her question.

"Great," she sighed. She heard her phone ringing and sighed as she grabbed it and checked the ID. Joey. She didn't want to argue with him anymore. She didn't want to talk to him anymore. She didn't even want to talk to him. The whole reason she was in this car tonight was to get away from him..as far away as she could as fast as she could. She needed time..time to think. She was hurt and angry and so in love with him that she couldn't see straight.

That, she thought, was what made this entire situation so difficult. Even now, as angry as she was, she loved that man more than she ever thought possible.

She sighed and pressed the answer button, pressing the phone to her ear. Yes, she was angry, but she was also stranded. Joey had always been her hero, after all.

"Kelly?" Joey said, barely able to hear her greeting over what sounded like wind or rain or maybe even a combination of both.

"Yeah…Joey, Can you hear me?" she asked, covering the receiver with her hand in an attempt to block out as much of the storm's noise as possible.

"Yeah, I can, but barely," he responded. "Where are you?"

Kelly looked around. "Good question," she muttered. Glancing around, she tried to locate a street sign or a building—anything that might help her tell him where she was.

"What?" Joey nearly yelled into the phone.

"I'm really not sure," Kelly admitted, beginning to worry a little. The area around her was really wooded. It was dark and deserted. She had no idea where she was and no idea how to tell anyone else where she was. This was not the kind of place where she wanted to spend the night.

Joey walked into the foyer, certain he had heard her wrong.

"What do you mean you're not sure?" he said. How could she not know where she was? Sure, she'd grown up in Paris, but Kelly was certainly no stranger to Llanview.

"Well, I had an accident and…" she began.

Joey stopped her immediately.

"An accident? Are you ok? Are you hurt?" His heart raced and his mouth went dry.

Kelly shook her head and Joey continued to rattle off questions into the phone.

"No..No..Joey, I'm fine. It's the car. The car isn't fine. It's stuck on a root or a limb or something and it won't move." She felt her anxiety level growing as she spoke. She was really beginning to realize what a mess she had gotten herself into.

* * *

Joey still fought to regain his composure. For a moment, he'd thought Kelly had been hurt. For those few seconds, he felt as if his heart were being ripped out of his body. If anything had happened to her he…well, he wasn't sure what he'd do and he didn't even want to think about it. Still, he knew Kelly, and he knew her well enough to know when she was scared. Tonight, she was scared.

"Listen," he said calmly, "Everything is gonna be fine. I don't want you to worry. I'm going to come and get you. You just need to tell me where you were going. Do you know what road you were on?"

"I was heading towards High Ridge," she said quietly already knowing what his response was going to be. She braced herself for his reaction.

"At night? Kelly! What were you thinking going out there by yourself at night? It's not safe. The roads are horrible and in this weather…" He stopped as he heard her take in a shaky breath.

"I know…ok? I know. It was stupid. I was stupid. I just needed somewhere to think. Somewhere I knew no one would bother me," she said quietly.

Joey sighed. He shouldn't have jumped on her like that. That was the last thing she needed at the moment. She was alone and scared and he was berating her. In truth, High Ridge was a place they'd gone together many times and the thought of her going there without him…it tore him apart.

"You're not stupid," he said softly. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come down so hard on you. It's just…I worry about you, you know? I'll always worry about you."

There was silence on the line for a moment.

Kelly finally spoke again. "So, can you help me?" she asked. "It's kind of dark out here."

"On my way," he responded as he jumped in the car. "I'll call you when I'm getting close. Stay in the car and keep the doors locked, ok? I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Ok," Kelly replied. "Joey," she said before hanging up.

"Yeah," he replied softly.

"Thanks for being here for me," she said.

"I'll always be here for you," he said with a smile as he shut the phone and placed it on the dash.

Starting up the car, he glanced up at the still dark and angry sky.

"You sure picked a hell of a night to take a drive, Kel," he muttered as he pulled out of the driveway.


	2. Chapter 2

The rain fell in sheets as the thunder rolled. Tree branches beat against the windshield as the night got darker.

Kelly crossed her arms tighter across her chest as she looked at the window. As the lightning flashed and lit up the sky, she quickly scanned her surroundings, hoping against hope to see something..anything familiar. She saw nothing. Sighing heavily, she leaned back against the seat.

"He's on his way," she whispered to herself. "He'll be here." She held the phone to her chest, willing it to ring.

He eased off the gas, tapping the brake lightly. With the rain still falling, it made it almost impossible to see the already pooled areas of water on the wet roads. When he hit it, he'd simply have to slow to an almost dead stop to try and keep from hydroplaning.

Squinting, he let out a relieved sigh. Bluffton Road—he was getting close. He picked up the phone and dialed the number.

"Hang on, Kelly," he whispered as the phone rang.

Closing here eyes in grateful thanks, she answered.

"Joey."

"Kelly," he said, happier than ever to hear her voice. "I'm almost there. Just hang in there."

She opened the door, stepping out of the car towards the road to look for his lights.

"I don't see you," she said, the sound of the wind and thunder drowning out his voice.

"I'm not there yet, Kel. Just stay put," he said, concerned by the sounds overwhelming the connection. "Do you hear me? Kelly?"

He looked at the screen on the phone. His signal was fading. The reception in this area wasn't the greatest and this weather certainly wasn't helping.

She smiled as she saw headlights in the distance.

"I see you now," she said, easing towards the road. "I'm standing just off the side of the road," she said as loudly as she could. "Look to your right."

"Kel…I should be there soon. I'm about to turn onto the road that leads to High Ridge."

Kelly furrowed her brow as she stepped closer to the road.

"Slow down," she said louder. "Joey!" She stepped out into the road. "Do you see me now?"

"Kel?" He was yelling now. "Just stay in the car. I should be there in about five minutes. Ten tops. Just hang tight," he said. He received no response. "Kel, are you still there?"

* * *

A sound—something he couldn't describe, yet something he instinctively knew was bad, was all he heard coming from the line.

"Kelly!" he screamed over and over in the phone, hoping for some sort of response. Instead he received silence. He threw the phone down in frustration and continued his slow progress down the road. He rolled down both windows, hoping to gain some visibility as he turned down the winding access road.

He hit the brakes as he saw the headlights. That must be her car he realized, easing his car off the road and making a mad dash towards her.

The young man stood pacing the street, holding the phone into the air, trying desperate to get some sort of signal.

He threw the phone into the street, cursing out loud as he clutched his stomach. His hands shook along with the rest of him. The lights of the approaching car in the distance had been a welcome sight to him…cops or not..he needed help and so did she.

He knelt beside Kelly. "I'm so sorry," he said quietly. "I'm so so sorry."

She remembered feeling the initial impact…like a crushing blow and then feeling herself fly through the air. As her body hit the wet pavement, all of the pain she'd expect to feel seemed to dissipate and, the longer she laidthere, the less she felt.

She heard the young man's whispers to her—his worried pleas and his frantic apologies. She tried to reassure him that it was ok. She was ok. She wasn't scared. She wasn't hurting. She felt almost…peaceful as if she were floating somewhere above it all.

Joey's hurried steps arrived in front of the truck. The young man rushed over to him.

"She was standing in the middle of the road," he yelled. "I didn't see her. I swear I didn't see her."

Shoving the man out of the way, Joey was beside her in a second.

"Kelly," he said, softly, touching her hair, brushing away the mix of dirt and blood that muddied her face. "I'm here. Everything is gonna be ok. I'm gonna call and get you some help."

He moved to stand as he felt her hand weakly grasp his.

"Joey," she whispered so faintly he could barely hear her. "It's ok. Don't go..No time and so much to say."

* * *

His heart was beating so loudly that he could barely hear her whispered words over the sound of the pounding in his head.

This felt like a horrible dream…like he was in middle of his worst nightmare, but he couldn't wake up.

He snapped into alert as the young man knelt beside her, covering her with a blanket.

"Don't touch her," he yelled, shoving him to the ground. "Don't you think you've done enough?"

"I couldn't see her…she was standing in the road…and I didn't see her," he pleaded. "I want to help. Just tell me what I can do and I'll do it. I swear."

Joey looked down at Kelly, her eyes fluttered as she looked up at him. He was losing her..he could feel it.

Looking back up at him, he swallowed hard. He wanted to tear him apart for what he'd done, but right now, he needed his help.

Taking a deep breath, he calmly spoke. "Go to my truck. My phone is on the dash. Call 911 and get an ambulance out here. And hurry," he said, kneeling back down by Kelly.

He tried to keep the teardrops from falling from his eyes, though he knew she wouldn't be able to distinguish them from the rain that still fell.

"I'm here, Kel," he whispered, trying to find somewhere to touch her that wouldn't cause her pain.

"I'm so glad," she said softly. "I knew you'd come."

"You just hang on, ok? I know it hurts, but you just hang on. We've got help coming."

Kelly struggled to speak. "No…it doesn't. It doesn't hurt. I'm ok. I am. It'sok, Joey. You're here. This is the way it should be."

Joey shook his head. "You're right. This is the way it should be. You and me together, but we should be in a fancy hotel room or something, right?" He forced himself to laugh and smile at her….anything to try and keep her with him.

"The middle of the road in the middle of a rainstorm isn't exactly the most romantic of evenings is it?"

Kelly managed a small, weak smile. "Like Paris," she said softly.

"Right," he whispered. "Like Paris….You want to go back there?" He looked over towards his car, hoping the ambulance was on the way now. He could tell by her breathing that she was getting weaker and he didn't know how much longer she could hang on.

"Maybe after we get you all fixed up, we can go back there. We could go and just get away from everyone and everything. Huh? How does that sound?"

He looked down at her as her eyelids fluttered closed.

Frantic, he carefully touched her face.

"Kelly, did you hear me? We'll go back to Paris…we can go back…just you and me…no family..no interruptions. Just us…just like we planned years ago…just like we should have done. Ok? We'll do it this time. We'll make it work."

She forced her eyes open. "You go," she said softly. "You go…I'll just remember."

* * *

She felt her entire body relaxing. She heard Joey's voice but it was becoming harder and harder to focus on the words. His hands held hers tightly, but it was his sobs that forced her to open her eyes again.

"I'm losing her," he said, finally giving in and allowing himself to sob. He held her hands in his as he tried again to reach her.

"Kelly. Come on…please. I know it's hard…please…Kel." He took in a deep breath as he saw her eyelids flutter open.

"That's it," he said, smiling at her. "That's good…that's good. You look at me. Tell me what you want to do when we go to Paris, ok? Where do you want to go?"

Kelly winced as she tried to take a breath. "I won't be able to do it," she managed between short intakes of breath.

"No…No," Joey said, trying to keep his composure. "You will be able to go with me. You're gonna be just fine. The ambulance is going to get here and they're gonna fix you right up and then we're gonna go and we're gonna be together. Just you and me…just like it should be…just like it always should have been."

Kelly shook her head. The movement made her feel funny and she closed her eyes to try and steady herself.

"Kelly," Joey said, afraid she was drifting away again. "Please stay here. Please stay with me."

"I'm here," she whispered. "I'm here."

Hearing the sirens in the distance, Joey leaned closer to her.

"See…you hear that? The ambulance is here. They're gonna help you. You're gonna be just fine. Just fine…."

"Give us some room," the paramedic barked as he surveyed the scene. A hit like this and he was shocked he was even dealing with a conscious patient.

"Did she ever lose consciousness?" he asked, glancing back at Joey.

"She's been kind of in and out. I've been trying to talk to her…keep her awake."

The young man standing in the background spoke.

"Her eyes were closed when I ran over to check her…right after I…right after…"

Joey rushed over to him, grabbing him. "Right after you hit her….right after you nearly killed her….you stupid, reckless…son of a…"

"Enough," the paramedic screamed. "We've got enough to deal with here." Turning his attention to Joey, he pulled him away from Kelly slightly. "Listen to me. I need you to talk to her…try and keep her as distracted as you can. We've got to get on a gurney so we can transport, but with her current condition, it's gonna hurt like hell."

Joey nodded, kneeling beside Kelly.

"Kelly," he said softly, carefully pressing his lips to her hand. "We're gonnaget you in the ambulance ok, but first we've got to get you on the stretcher, so they're gonna move you while we talk about Paris, ok?"

Kelly had begun to shake some time ago. Joey had noticed it and he'd heard the paramedic say something about going into shock. Though he'd tried not to allow himself to entertain the thought, he briefly allowed the idea to flash through his mind. What if Kelly didn't make it? What if he lost her? What if he'd blown the last chance he had at making it work with the only woman he'd ever truly loved?

No—he couldn't think like that. Not now…not when his attention needed to be focused on something much more important…something like Kelly.

She needed him..and he was not going to let her down.


	3. Chapter 3

He drove behind the ambulance as quickly as he could given the weather conditions. The flashing lights in front of him were a grim reminder of Kelly's condition. As the paramedics had begun to load her onto the stretcher, she'd lost consciousness. No matter how hard he'd tried, he couldn't bring her back. Nothing he said..nothing he said sparked a reaction.

His hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that his fingertips were white. Questions swirled in his mind. Why had he let her leave angry? Why hadn't he stopped her? He should have grabbed her and told her that nothing else mattered. He should have held her and never ever let her go. If he had, none of this would be happening. Kelly would be safe at home with him, and not fighting for her life in the back of an ambulance.

They had already taken her behind the curtains by the time he parked the car and raced inside. He begged to see her, but they had sent a nurse out to gently push him into the waiting room.

"Let the doctors do their job," she said quietly, handing him a small paper cup with water. "There's a phone over there. You should call her family."

Joey sat silently for a moment…staring at the cup. Call her family? Was that the standard comment for every patient that was brought in or was that her way of saying that Kelly might…..

He stood up, slamming the cup onto the small wooden table that sat beside the row of chairs. No…he couldn't think like that. He couldn't even allow that thought to permeate his mind. Kelly would be fine. She had to be fine. He couldn't live without her. He looked over at the phone..thinking about the calls he needed to make. He knew he should call Dorian…and his mother. Dorian would call Blair and the rest of the family here. He took a deep breath as he realized he needed to call someone else too. He needed to call Kevin. If Kelly was in as much trouble as he thought, Kevin and Zane needed to get here as quickly as possible.

* * *

"What on earth?" she said, as he pushed past her and into the room. "What in the hell happened to you?"

He looked down at his hands. They were covered in mud and blood and they were still shaking.

"Is that…Is that blood?" she asked him, staring at him, her blue eyes wide with shock.

"My God…what did you do?"

"I think….I think….I killed her," he whispered still staring at his hands.

* * *

Kevin Buchanan rolled over hit the small switch on the lamp. Wincing as his eyes tried to adjust to the light, he glanced at the ID on his phone. Llanview? At this hour? He sat up quickly, taking a breath. For someone to be calling from home now…something had to be wrong.

"Hello?" he said, his voice tense and already filled with worry.

"Kevin," Joey said, dreading the next few moments. He and Kelly had had their fair share of uncomfortable conversations where Kelly was concerned, but this time it was different. This time he was delivering the news that he never wanted to. His mind went back to the night years ago when Kevin had found him and told him that Kelly had been shot. The fear that swept over him in that moment had been indescribable and he had been mere minutes away from the hospital. Kevin and Zane were in another country. It was take hours for them to get here…to be able to sit by her side and hold her hand.

"Joey!" Kevin yelled into the phone. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah. I'm here. Sorry…I was just thinking," he admitted, shaking his head. "Listen, Kev. There's something I need to tell you," he said, trying to decide what to say. How do you tell someone something like this?

"What is it? What's wrong? Is it Mom? Jess? Dad?"

"No, Kev. It's Kelly."

"Kelly?" His breath caught. He'd never even thought about Kelly. She was young and healthy and well…she was Kelly. He'd just talked with her the other day. Zane had been chosen to go with a group to Spain for the Thanksgiving break and they were working out the details. She sounded fine. What could have changed so quickly?

"Is she sick?" he asked. "What's the matter with her?"

"She was in an accident," Joey said, trying hard not to allow his voice to break. "A car…" He took a shaky breath.

"A car accident?" Kevin said, rubbing his hand over his face as fear overwhelmed him.

"She was hit by a car," Joey managed.

"Oh my God," he breathed. "Is she? She's not…She's not…Joey, tell me she's not…" Kevin closed his eyes….She couldn't be dead.

"It's not good. I don't know all the details yet. They won't let me see her, but they told me to call her family, so I'm calling you. I think you should get here. I think you should bring Zane….and Kevin…"

"Yeah," he said, already standing up and reaching into the closet for his bag.

"Hurry," he said before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.

Joey walked back to the nurse's station and stood watching the door. Kelly was behind that door. She was alone and scared and hurt and he couldn't do a thing to help her. He felt useless and hopeless and everything else that he normally felt without her in his life.

"Please God help her," he whispered. "I know I don't deserve her, but please don't take her away from me."

* * *

"What the hell do you mean you think you killed her? I hired you to follow her and to get her out of Llanview for a while. I *never* said anything about killing her." Aubrey threw a towel at Colby as he dried his hands.

He shook his head, running the now damp towel over his face as well. All of this had gotten so out of hand. He'd ran into Aubrey one night at Capricorn and they'd struck up a conversation. He'd casually mentioned that he was in some "legal trouble" and she seemed to understand…even commiserate with him. If he'd only turned around and left then…none of this would be happening. Instead, he'd allowed Aubrey to weave him into her plans. She'd told him her sob story about Joey…about how their relationship had started off as a lie but turned into a real thing and about how she wasn't a monster.

She was just misunderstood—like him. She needed another chance—like him. With the help of each other, they could both get those chances. He'd listened to her…that was his biggest mistake.

Colby looked up at Aubrey. She wasn't backing down. He had to tell her the whole story. " It was an accident. I was following her on the road. She was headed up some backwoods like road up to some kind of cabin or lodge or something and it was raining and everything. Anyway, I couldn't see and I was afraid I was going to bog down, so I pulled off the road for a little while." He slowly sat down on the edge of the bed as he relived the next few horrible moments in his mind.

"When the rain let up a little, I started to move a bit and I saw what I thought was her car. I started to edge off the road and I….I…" He stopped then, still horrified by the sight of her body flying through the air. He was sure he'd heard the impact and seen her face and she flew past the windshield.

"Oh my God," Aubrey gasped as her hand flew to her mouth. "You hit her? You actually hit her?"

"Yeah….I did. I mean, I didn't see her. She was standing in the road. She stood in the middle of the damn road. How the hell was I supposed to know she was going to be there? It was pouring rain and I couldn't see and then she was just there. Anyway, I got out of the car and I ran over to her and she was just laying there and I thought she was…."

"Was she dead?"

Colby sat silently….thinking of the moment when he'd touched her hand. How still she'd been..how quiet.

"Colby!" she screamed. "Was she dead?"

"N..No," he muttered. "She opened her eyes a little and she even started to try to say something, but then this guy came flying up out of nowhere and he shoved me out of the way and started screaming at me."

"Who?" Aubrey's heart was pounding. This wasn't supposed to happen. No one was really supposed to get hurt. Sure she wanted Kelly out of the way, but she didn't want her dead. She just needed time…time with Joey…time to make him see that they had something real..something special…something better than anything he could have with Kelly.

"That guy," Colby explained. "That guy you and Cutter were shaking down for the cash."

"Joey," Aubrey breathed. "Joey saw you there?"

"Yeah. I mean, he showed up just a few minutes after it happened and he got me to call the ambulance and then as soon as the paramedics got there, I saw my chance and I got the hell out of there."

Aubrey sat, her head in her hands. "This is a nightmare…an absolute nightmare."

"What you think this is what I wanted?" he glared at her. "You're the one who got me into this mess. You said you could help me…you said you could get me enough money to get out of the country…and now look. I've got no money…no help…and one more charge to add to the list for the cops."

Aubrey stood up. "You listen to me. No one forced you to do this. I came to you because you said you had nothing to lose. I asked you to do something very simple. Follow Kelly Cramer tonight…say all the right things…make all the right moves and get her out of town for a while. That's all you had to do, but you couldn't do it, could you? You do and complicate everything. You did this…this had nothing to do with me. I didn't make you hit her and if she dies….it's on you."

Colby stood walking over to stand inches from her.

"If I go down for this, I'm taking you with me."

* * *

"Any news, sweetheart?" Vicki sat down beside Joey placing her hand on his arm. She'd watch him sit there most of the night, not speaking, not moving, just sitting there staring back at the door.

The doctor had come out briefly sometime in the wee hours of the morning to explain that there were internal injuries. They didn't know how severe. Exploratory surgery was their best option—even then…the odds were stacked against her.

Joey turned towards his mother. "They won't even let me see her." All night long he'd sat there waiting for news and yet still this morning he knew nothing.

Vicki drew a shaky breath. "I know, honey. I know. The doctors are doing everything they can and right now letting them help her is the best thing you can do for her. You're here and I'm sure she knows that."

The sounds of rushed footsteps came hurrying up behind them. Joey and Vicki turned to see Kevin's worried face.

"What's going on?" he asked. "Zane is with Clint…I wasn't sure what the situation was…" He looked at Joey's face, desperate for some sort of response.

Joey shook his head. "She's…the doctors…They…they took her."

Reaching over to touch his shoulder, Vicki took over. "We don't know very much yet. The doctor said she had some internal injuries and some bleeding that the needed to find and try to control. They went in for some exploratory surgery last night and now we're waiting to see what they found and what they were able to fix."

"So they were going to fix it," Kevin responded hopefully. "They were going in to fix it? She's gonna be ok?"

"Well, darling…they didn't know. They were going in to assess the damage. The doctor said the situation was uncertain. He was hoping to know more after the surgery." She wished more than anything in the world she had better news to deliver, but sugar coating things weren't going to do any of them any good.

"I think," Joey managed, clearing his throat, trying to open his airway which felt like it was getting smaller and smaller by the minute. "I think you should get Zane and bring him here. He needs to see her…and she needs to see him."

They locked eyes for a minute. "You think it's that bad," Kevin asked, his eyes taking on a much more worried glare.

Joey looked up at him. He didn't need to respond. Kevin simply turned around and headed out the door.

He took a deep breath as he stared at the altar. He'd finally convinced his mother to go home and get some rest even though he'd refused to take his own advice. He couldn't leave. Kelly needed him here and he needed to be here. Taking a seat on the front row on pews, he closed his eyes and leaned back.

"Why?" he whispered, feeling the familiar sting of tears begin to burn his eyes. "Why are you punishing her for my stupid mistakes? She didn't do anything wrong? I did. I'm the one who messed everything up by choosing Aubrey. I'm the one who didn't listen to my heart. That was me, so why is she the one you let get hurt?"

"Joe," a voice at the back of the chapel echoed through the room.

Joey turned around to see Dorian standing there.

"Dorian," he said, standing up. "Is it Kelly…Is she out of surgery?"

"I just talked to the doctor, Joe."

"Can I see her?" He pushed past her, making his way down the hall quickly, barely even waiting for her response.

"Joe, wait," she said, reaching out to grab his arm. "You can't see her yet. Before you do…there are some things you need to know."

* * *

"Are you threatening me?" Aubrey asked, her blue eyes now cold and narrowed.

"I'm putting you on notice. I never would have gotten involved in any of this mess if you hadn't brought me into it. You are just as responsible for this as I am. You may not have been driving the car that hit Kelly tonight, but you put me behind the wheel and as far as I'm concerned, you were in the passenger seat the whole time."

Aubrey shook her head. "You know what," she said with a laugh, trying to lighten the situation. The last things he needed was some hot head trying to further complicate her life. "This may not even be an issue. Kelly could be fine. She's probably fine. You probably knocked her out and she goes to the hospital and is treated and released, right?"

She looked over at Colby who still looked entirely too worried for her liking.

"Right, Colby?" She stressed the importance of this with her voice.

"I don't think so," he admitted, lowering his eyes. "She looked pretty messed up and the paramedics, they weren't messing around. They all looked pretty freaked when they got there."

"Dammit," Aubrey sighed, grabbing her purse and keys.

"Where are you going?" Colby asked as he watched her head for the door.

"Where do you think I'm going?" she said, rolling her eyes at the stupidity of his question. "I'm going to see Joey. I have to at least pretend to care about what happens to his best friend." She shot a look back towards him. "And you better hope she doesn't die."

* * *

"What do I need to know?" Joey asked, the worry growing in his already stressed voice?

Just as Dorian was beginning to speak, Kevin and Zane appeared behind Joey's shoulder.

"Zane," Dorian said, her face changing into a sad smile. "My goodness how you've changed."

The nearly fifteen year old boy stepped closer to her to receive the hug and forced a smile.

"You're very handsome and you've got your mother's eyes," Dorian whispered, feeling her own eyes prickle with tears.

"Thanks," he mumbled, turning to look at Joey.

He could tell the boy was trying to be strong…to pretend that he wasn't afraid, that he was scared, but as he put his arms around him, he felt him let out a shaky breath.

"It's gonna be ok," Joey whispered, patting his back. "Everything is gonnabe ok."

Zane looked up at him. "Can I go see her now?"

Joey looked back over at Dorian.

"Well, actually," she began, "that's what I was beginning to tell Joe about just before the two of you arrived. Why don't we sit down," she said quietly, gesturing to a few seats in the corner.

"What's going on Dorian," Kevin demanded, his voice harsh and impatient. "If something has happened with Kelly, we have a right to know about it."

"I know you do…and I'm going to tell you," she said, looking at the faces of the three of them. "It's just that,"

Joey saw it in her eyes first…the glimmer of tears and that was what frightened him the most. Dorian was a force to be reckoned with and if this news had broken her…it had to be bad.

"What is it?" he whispered, "What did the doctor say?"

"I'm so glad you're here for her Joe," she whispered. "She's going to need you now more than ever."


	4. Chapter 4

"You don't have to go in. I'll let your Mom know that you're here and that you're thinking about her and that you love her." Kevin sat with his arm around Zane as he quietly spoke to him. The news had hit him hard. He cut his eyes over to Joey, a silent request for some back up.

"Kevin's right, Zane. You heard Dorian. The doctors think she's gonna be ok, so there will be plenty of time for you to see her later. You can go back to Dad's house, get some rest, and come back when you feel better."

Vicki stood in the distance waiting to see what Zane decided. She held out her hand as he walked towards her. Wrapping her arms around the boy, she could see he was trying hard to hold it together.

She nodded at Kevin and Joey as she left the hospital with her arm around him.

Joey slumped down into a chair, his hand running over his face.

Kevin sat down beside him.

"You ok?" he asked, looking at him and already knowing the answer. "I mean, I know how you feel about her….it doesn't take a genius to figure that out and…"

He looked up at his brother. "God, Kevin. I prayed for her to make it..to be ok…but I never thought….I never wanted….What if this is?" He stopped…unable and unwilling to complete his thoughts.

He didn't need to. Kevin knew exactly what he was thinking. Grabbing his arm forcefully, he turned him towards him.

"You listen to me," he said, his eyes blaring, "You did not cause this. Kelly is alive. You heard Dorian…the doctor said that it was a miracle she even survived the accident."

"Yeah, she survived, but for what?" Even as the words came out of his mouth he felt sick inside. He felt so guilty for being anything less than grateful for her survival, but Kelly's whole life would be different now. She would have to deal with that.

"We don't know that. We don't know anything..and we won't. Not until she regains consciousness. The doctor said there was no real way of knowing the extent of the damage until she's awake and able to tell us exactly what she's feeling." Kevin was trying to remain optimistic, but even he had to admit that this was a precarious situation. The thought of Kelly being dependent on anyone was a difficult concept to grasp.

He thought back to Dorian's words…bleeding on the brain, swelling, possible paralysis, cognitive functioning, traumatic brain injury, long term care, limited functioning…. None of it sounded like Kelly….or not like the Kelly he knew. Of course now, that Kelly could be lost to them forever.

* * *

Kevin stood behind the curtain for a moment. The nurse had tried to prepare him for Kelly's condition, but he had serious doubts if anything could truly be proper preparation for what he was about to see.

He slowly slid aside and stepped into the small room. The tears were almost instantaneous. Bruises and scrapes covered nearly ever y inch of her body and although she looked as if she should be in immeasurable pain, she appeared peaceful. For that, he was grateful.

He moved the small metal stood to the side of the bed and took a seat. He was afraid to touch her at all, afraid that any movement at all would disrupt the mass of lines and tubes that kept her so blissfully unaware of all she was enduring.

Softly, he ran his fingertips down her face, moving the hair away from her face.

"Hey," he whispered. "It's Kevin. I'm here, Kel. I don't know if you can hear me or not, but if you can I want you to listen real close for a minute. I know you don't like it when people tell you what to do, but this time…just this once, please listen to me. You've got to fight this. There are too many people out there that care about you. Zane wants to see you, but not like this. I don't want him to visit his Mom like this and I know you don't want that either. And then there's Blair and Starr…Dorian."

He looked up at the monitors, hoping for some reaction. "And then there's my little brother…Joey..You remember him? He's out there beating himself up for this one. I remember you coming to London and telling me that you never got over him."

Kevin leaned in close to her and whispered, "I've got news for you…he never got over you either. The two of you have something really special…you just come back to him now."

* * *

"Dorian Lord?" the nurse called out into the waiting room.

Joey stood and walked over to her. "She went home for a while. Do you need me to contact her? Is this about Kelly? Is something wrong?"

Every time a door opened…every time he saw a nurse jump up, or a doctor rush down the hall, he felt as if his heart would stop…His nerves were shot and the lack of news certainly wasn't helping.

"I'm sorry sir, what's your name?"

"Joey Buchanan," Joey responded, knowing already what her response would be. Not family…

The nurse nodded as she checked the file. "Ms. Lord signed waiver for you to receive updates and information," she nodded, gesturing for Joey to follow her. "The doctor would like to speak with you."

Surprised, Joey followed quickly. He watched as the nurse explained the situation and showed the doctor the waiver.

"Mr Buchanan," the doctor began, "I wanted to speak with a family representative about Ms. Cramer's condition."

A wave of nausea swept over his body.

"Ok," he whispered weakly as he lowered himself into the chair.

"The news is mixed I'm afraid," she began, barely looking up from the chart. "The good news is that the swelling in her brain does appear to be lessening…in fact it has dropped off dramatically since our initial testing."

Joey looked up at her, his eyes hopeful. "That's good, right?"

"Yes," the doctor confirmed. "It's a very positive sign. The decrease in swelling greatly reduces the likelihood that we will be dealing with any cognitive issues or other issues that are generally associated with traumatic brain injuries. The patient will more than likely maintain most if not all of her cognitive functions."

Everything was so technical….so unfeeling. Joey didn't understand. How could this doctor talk about this as if she were reading a classified ad? Didn't she understand what this was about? How important this was? This was about Kelly….his Kelly? The woman he loved more than his own life….

"Kelly," he said softly. "Her name is Kelly."

"What?" the doctor said, looking at him strangely.

"You called her the patient." His voice was terse…he knew he was being slightly over sensitive, but he'd been there all night waiting and praying and frankly…he'd had just about enough.

"Right..Right…Kelly," the doctor responded. She looked at Joey. This look was not new to her. Someone that had been waiting all night for news…news that may or may not be good…. "I apologize."

"It's ok," Joey breathed. "I'm just…it's just…" He shook his head.

"I understand. These situations are never easy." She checked her chart again before continuing. "There is another matter that we need to discuss, however."

Joey looked up at her. "Right…you said the news was mixed. What's the bad news?"

"While the swelling in her brain has decreased dramatically, the swelling in other areas has not…in fact the swelling around her spinal column has increased."

Joey blinked, trying to understand. "Her spinal column? Meaning that she's…"

She walked over to him. "We don't know anything for sure, but you do need to prepare yourself for the possibility. In some situations, swelling around the spinal column has caused paralysis."

"So, she, uh…." He ran his hand over his face, trying to quell the burning in his eyes and throat. Tears threatened to fall, but he was determined to make it through this. He had to—for Kelly. "She may not be able to walk…"

The doctor nodded. "It's possible."

"If umm….If that happens, is there anything…I mean can it be reversed?" There were so many questions to ask…so many things he needed to know..and so many things Kelly would want to know when she woke up.

Sighing, she spoke. There was compassion now where there had not been before. "Unfortunately, we just don't know. Paralysis is still a very difficult thing to predict. We often don't know exactly why patients regain the abilities they've previously lost, therefore it makes it very difficult to treat. We can give her medications to try and reduce the swelling. Once she regains consciousness, she can start on a therapy regimen that may help, but more than anything, she needs to start to try and adjust to what her life may be like."

"So, what you're saying is that she could be paralyzed for the rest of her life?"

"I know that's not what you want to hear Mr. Buchanan, but I've got to be honest with you. I've seen a lot of spinal cord injuries, and Ms. Cramer's is quite severe. In my professional opinion, I think it would be in your and her best interest to try and adjust to a new normal." She closed the file and moved towards the door. "I've got rounds, but you let me know if you have any more questions."

Joey sat silently as the doctor left the room. A new normal? How was he supposed to tell Kelly this?

* * *

Kevin stepped outside the room and glanced around looking for Joey. His eyes fell on him sitting, with his head in his hands.

"Hey," he said softly, putting his hand on his shoulder as he slowly approached. "You ok, little brother?"

As he raised his head, it was obvious that ok was the last word that should be used to describe his current state.

"What happened?" Kevin took a seat beside his brother, now very concerned himself. Joey was pretty good a self loathing, but this was something entirely different.

"The doctor came back. She uh, she talked to me about Kelly's tests results."

Kevin nodded. "Ok, so is it worse than we thought. Has something changed?"

Joey didn't speak. He simply sat, staring at the wall. He didn't know how to explain this to someone else. He couldn't even fully process it himself.

"Joe," he exclaimed, grabbing his shoulder a little more forcefully. "Come on…tell me what's going on. You're scaring me here."

"She might never walk again," he whispered. Saying the words made it even more real…as if he could speak them into being and the thought of it made him sick inside.

This time it was Kevin's turn to be silent. Joey turned, staring at him, his eyes now colder, more angry.

"What's wrong, Kev? You don't have any words of wisdom this time? You don't know how to fix it?" He stood up angrily walking across the room.

"I suppose you're gonna tell me that this isn't my fault either….That even though I fought with her last night and I let her leave the house upset in the middle of a storm that it isn't my fault that she's here…right?"

He stood, walking the distance to meet his brother. "Listen, man…I know it's hard, but this isn't your fault. This was a terrible, terrible accident. You didn't do this to her."

"I'm the one that put her here," he sobbed, giving in as his brother put his arms around him. "I put her here."

* * *

He wasn't sure how long he'd been standing there just staring at the curtain. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned around.

"You don't have to have all the answers, you know," Kevin said, staring into his brother's face. "Just hold her hand and be there for her…that will be enough."

Joey nodded. She needed him now and he needed to be there for her. It was that simple. He pulled the curtain aside and stepped into the room.

"Aubrey! There it is." Colby scooted over for Aubrey to join him in the small chair in the front of the television. They both watched in silence as the reporter ran down the details in a case they both already knew all too well.

"Damn," she whispered, reaching up and turning off the TV. "She didn't waste any time."

"Did you think she would?," Colby sneered through gritted teeth, popping the tab on the can of beer on the side table. "She's got money to burn…offering up a reward for information isn't going to even put a dent in her finances…and to boot she gets to look like a hero to her niece."

Aubrey sat silently, thinking.

"I know that look," Colby muttered rolling his eyes. "And I know something else too…I don't want any part of it. Whatever it is…I'm out."

Aubrey smiled. "Don't you worry…I don't need you screwing anything else up. I'll handle Dorian on my own."

She stood and walked across the length of the room running idea after idea through her mind as she paced. Suddenly she stopped. It was obvious…so obvious in fact that she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it sooner.

Grabbing her bag and keys, she headed out the door.

"Aubrey," Colby yelled after her, but she was already gone.

* * *

It was the initial shock that hit him the hardest. In fact, he was fairly certain that he wouldn't have felt any worse if he had been slapped straight across the face.

She was so still, so silent…so not Kelly. The Kelly he knew was full of passion about everything. Her smile could light up a room and her anger could clear one. She had a laugh that was contagious and eyes that could bring him to his knees. He'd give anything to see her eyes staring back at him now. Instead all he saw was stillness…all he heard was silence, and all he could do was hold her hand and pray for the right words to say.

"Kel," he whispered gently touching her face. "I know you can hear me…I don't know why, but I just know you can….and I want you to know that I'm not going anywhere. I'm here and I'm going to stay here no matter what happens."

The machine overheard beeped, catching Joey's attention. He smiled.

"You see…I knew you heard me. Listen, I need you to wake up…I'm not real good at carrying a conversation…you know that. We're better together. We've always been better together. You can do it, Kel. I know you can. You can come back…"

Slowly, he brought her hand to his lips, kissing it softly. "I'm here, and I'll wait…as long as it takes."

He heard his voice, and turned around to see her standing there.

"Kelly?" he said, blinking and rubbing his eyes in amazement. "What are you? How did you?"

She smiled and walked over to him. "You brought me back, Joey. I came here for you…I'll always come back for you." She leaned closer to him, her hand caressing his cheek softly.

He gasped and jerked as the sensation startled him. Picking his head up from the side of the bed, he turned to look at the wall. He must have fallen asleep. He looked at Kelly—her eyes still closed. A dream…it had all been a dream. Sighing, he leaned back in the chair closing his eyes.

Suddenly he sat upright again…What woke him? A sensation..the feeling of fingertips on his face. He looked down at her hand, taking it carefully in his. "Kel," he said, standing and staring down at her. "Kelly, can you hear me?"

It was slight, but it was definitely there. It started as a twitch but soon moved through her fingertips. She heard him. She was coming back.

* * *

"Kelly," he held her hand close to his chest as he leaned down closer to her. Carefully he pressed his lips to a small area of skin on her face, one of the few left mercifully untouched by bruises and scratches. He smiled as he felt her eyelashes brush his cheek.

"Hey," he whispered, pulling back to look into her barely open eyes.

He could see she was trying to speak. She tried to speak, her voice fading with each small sound she attempted.

"It's ok," Joey assured her, touching her face softly carefully not to inflict any pain upon her. "You just take it easy ok? Don't push it…We'll have plenty of time to talk. Right now, I'm just so glad you're awake…that you're back…that you're here with me."

He watched her as a very weak smile played upon her lips. Sure, it was not quite as impressive as the many stunning smiles she'd flashed him over the years, but he'd never been so happy to see her smile in all his life.

Everything in him wanted to reach down and grab onto her, hold her and never let her go, but he didn't…she looked so fragile that he was afraid any touch might bring her pain and he knew he had to get a doctor. He had to make sure she was ok.

"I need to get a doctor to come see you," he whispered, placing a gentle kiss on her temple.

Slipping his hand from within hers he started to move away.

"No," she managed weakly.

Joey turned, his eyes softening as he looked at her. He'd give anything to take all this away from her. He'd switch placed with her in a second.

"I'll be right back," he whispered softly as he softly touched her face. "I promise you…I'm not gonna leave you ever again. You will never ever be alone."

He smiled as he watched her eyes flutter slightly. She was still so tired, but he could see she still had that spark in her—the same spark and fire he'd fallen in love with all those years ago.

"I'll just be a second, I promise…ok?" He looked into her eyes, waiting for some sort of affirmation that she understood. He couldn't stand to leave her if she was afraid.

Her small nod in response told him everything he needed to know.

Lightly bringing her hand to his lips, he gently placed a kiss on her bruised knuckles.

"I'll be right back," he whispered and quickly made his way out the door.

* * *

One look at her face told him that she knew. The doctor had told her. In a way he wished she hadn't..he wished he'd been there with her when she'd gotten the news, but somehow now it didn't matter. Now, all that mattered was making it better.

Gathering her in his arms, he softly stroked her hair, "I already talked to the doctor," he whispered quietly in her ear, desperate to reassure her somehow. "She said there are all sorts of things they can do now. There are medicines and physical therapy."

He looked over, checking to see if his words were making any impact.

"Right," she whispered, her voice still weak and shaky. "Things that could help…things that might work, but the reality is that this very well might be the way I am now. This could be what the rest of my life is like."

"Kelly," he said softly, "Don't think like that. We're gonna get through this. I know you…you're stubborn and you're strong and you'll fight until you.."

She stopped him. "I want you to go."

"What?" He had to have misunderstood. She couldn't have asked him to leave. Why wouldn't she want him there with her…especially now?

Taking a deep breath and slowly reaching up to wipe away the tears, she repeated the words again. "I know what you're trying to do here, Joey and I appreciate it. I really do, but I need for you to give me some time and let me deal with this. I need to talk to Kevin and I need to see Zane."

She saw the effect her words had on him. The pain in his eyes was evident and the last thing in the world she wanted was to hurt him, yet in that moment, her own pain was so intense that it was overwhelming anything and everything else.

"Please don't shut me out, Kel. Just tell me what you need and I'll do it…whatever it is. Anything." He felt the tears sting at his eyes. The thought of her being here alone and scared drove him crazy.

"I've got to figure this out for myself. I can't tell you what I feel if I don't even know myself and I've got to figure this out. If you want to do something for me, call Kevin. Have him come up here. I need to talk to him and I want to see my son."

Joey sat silent for a moment. He had to do what she wanted—he owed her that, but the thought of not being with her was unbearable.

"Ok," he managed. "Just promise me that if you need anything, you'll call. Please….promise me."

She forced a smile as she reached out and softly touched his hand.

"I promise," she whispered.

* * *

"I can come back," Kevin said, slowing pulling the door closed as he noticed her closed eyes.

"No," Kelly replied quickly, using her arms to push herself up on the bed. She never realized how difficult it was to use your upper body for everything.

Seeing her struggle, Kevin hurried over to her side. He gently fluffed the pillows behind her and smiled as he helped her settle herself. "Better?"

She sighed, looking up at him with resignation. "This is exactly what I'm talking about."

"What?"

"I can't even sit up by myself. The nurse this morning…she brought my breakfast tray and asked if I needed any assistance."

"Kel," Kevin began, already seeing where the conversation was headed. "Everyone is just trying to…"

"I know what they're trying to do," she snapped. "They want to help…They all want to help!" She felt the tears falling in spite of her efforts. "No one can help, Kevin."

"Kel," he spoke softly, reaching out and touching her hand. "This isn't about people wanting to help you." He carefully reached under her chin, using his fingertips to raise her face. "Is it?"

She sighed. Kevin Buchanan could always see through her in a way that few others could and he always called her out on everything. "No," she admitted. "It isn't."

Kevin leaned back a little, making a little more room for himself on the edge of the bed. "Why don't you tell me what's really going on?"

"As if you don't already know?" Kelly smiled.

"You can pretend I don't," he countered.

"It's Joey," she softly replied.

She shifted the pink, plastic cup from one hand to another as she contemplated her words.

"You actually gonna drink that or are you putting it on the centrifuge?"

Kelly smiled at him. "Very funny," she sighed. Reaching over, she sat the cup down. "I told him to go…you know?"

He nodded, pouring himself a cup of water and taking a sip. "Yep, he told me. He said you said you had to figure things out." Pausing for a moment, he looked at her. "So, have you?"

"Have I what," she asked, honestly confused.

"Figured things out?" He knew exactly what Kevin was doing. She was thinking about what was 'best', what was 'fair', what was 'honorable'.

"Kevin, I just…I don't know what's going to happen with…" She stopped, unable to finish her own sentence. Her eyes ran over the covers. Her legs were there, but she wouldn't know it—not if she couldn't see them with her own eyes. They were a part of her own body and yet she had no control over their movements and she was afraid she never would again. But, she realized, there was one thing she could control.

"I just don't want him to have to put his life on hold," she managed, allowing her breath to escape in a long sigh.

"You know he doesn't see it that way. Joey loves you. He's always loved you. He'd give anything in the world to be here right now….to be the one talking to you…to be holding your hand, helping you through this. You know that, don't you?"

Kelly nodded, reaching up and wiping her eyes again. She did know that. If given the chance, Joey wouldn't ever leave her side. He'd spend every waking moment making sure she was safe and happy. "That's the point, Kevin," she remarked sadly, averting her eyes, "I can't let that happen."


End file.
